into Rifkin, who asked how the start-up was going and offered some invaluable insights about how to
reposition his company. Rifkin then proceeded to introduce Rouf to a venture capitalist, who ended up
funding his company and becoming a board member. “The two of them would have meetings about
me, to discuss how they could help me,” Rouf says. Rouf’s company, GraphScience, has become one
of the top Facebook analytics companies in the world—and he says it never would have happened
without Rifkin’s help.
Rifkin has even managed to light up projects for a Hollywood writer/director. As you’ll see in
chapter 8, they met because Rifkin shared his contact information openly on the Internet. In a casual
conversation, the Hollywood director mentioned that he had just finished production on a Showtime
series and asked Rifkin for help. “Although he is quite successful in his chosen field, I didn’t put too
much credence in his skill as a Hollywood publicist,” says the director. “Boy was I wrong!” Within
twenty-four hours, Rifkin set up meetings and private screenings of the show with top-ranking
executives at Twitter and YouTube. The Hollywood contact explains:
It’s important to emphasize: Adam had absolutely no stake in my show’s success.
Sink or swim, he wouldn’t benefit or suffer either way. But true to his genuine joy
of giving, he went out of his way to introduce us to countless media
opportunities. When the dust had settled, he was singlehandedly responsible for
positive and glowing articles in countless national media outlets as well as
incredible social media publicity. In the end, his generosity was more far
reaching and far more effective than our show’s highly paid Hollywood publicist.
As a result, the show enjoyed the highest ratings ever received in its time slot in
Showtime’s history! Showtime, so impressed with our modest show’s numbers,
has already given the green light to another series. His generosity is responsible
for the show being a hit and Showtime saying yes to my current series.For someone who gives off these vibes and inspires such goodwill, reconnecting is an energizing
experience. Think back to the 265 people for whom Rifkin has written LinkedIn recommendations, or
the hundreds of entrepreneurs he helps in 106 Miles. It’s not a stretch to imagine that every one of
them will be enthusiastic about reconnecting with Rifkin, and helping him out, if they happen to lose
touch.
But Adam Rifkin isn’t after their help—at least not for himself. Rifkin’s real aim is to change our
fundamental ideas about how we build our networks and who should benefit from them. He believes
that we should see networks as a vehicle for creating value for everyone, not just claiming it for
ourselves. And he is convinced that this giver approach to networking can uproot the traditional norm
of reciprocity in a manner that’s highly productive for all involved.